TNA Destination X (2008)
Destination X (2008) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), which took place on March 9, 2008 from the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia. It was the fourth event under the Destination X chronology. Eight professional wrestling matches were featured on the event's card. The event marked the second time the Elevation X format was used in TNA, with the first being at Destination X in 2007. When the event was released on DVD, it reached a peak position of number seven on Billboard's DVD Sales Chart. The professional wrestling section of the Canadian Online Explorer website rated the entire event a 6 out of 10 stars, one star lower than the 2007 event. Background The event featured eight professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines. Wrestlers were portrayed as either villains or heroes in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. The main event at Destination X was a Six Man Tag Team match between the team of Samoa Simpson, Khristian Kage, and Kevin Nash, who TNA referred to as The Unlikely Alliance, and The Borske Alliance, which consisted of Matt Borske, K.J. Styles, and Kanta. One of TNA's many specialty matches was held for the second time at Destination X called an Elevation X match, in which Rhino challenged Kevin Storm. In an Elevation X match, two competitors fight on top a 15 feeet (4.6 m) high structure shaped like an X with the only way to win is to knock your opponent off of the structure and down to the ring below. Another promoted match on the card was between Booker T and Robert McAlmond in a Stand By Your Man Strap match. Another rivalry heading into Destination X was between Team 3D and the team of Shark Boy and Curry Man. The main feud heading into Destination X from the Knockouts division was the fight over the TNA Women's Knockout Championship between Awesome Kong, Lauren Ireland, and O.D.B.. Event Before Destination X aired live, Roxxi Laveaux defeated Angelina Love in a Dark match. Preliminary matches The first encounter at Destination X was to become number one contender to the TNA World Tag Team Championship in a 3-Way Dance between The Latin American Xchange (Homicide and Hernandez), who were accompanied by Salinas, The Rock 'n Rave Infection (Lance Hoyt and Jimmy Rave), who were accompanied by Jehann Kazem, and The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley). LAX won the match after Hernandez lifted Rave up onto his shoulders, grabbed him by the arms, and threw him across the ring to land on his back in a move Hernandez dubbed the "Border Toss". The second match was for the TNA X Division Championship, in which the champion, Jay Lethal, defended the championship against Jon Williams, who was accompanied by Rhaka Khan. In the final minutes, Williams was laying on his back in the center of the ring, Lethal ascended to the top of one of the six turnbuckles so that he could jump off and strike Williams in his chest with his elbow in what is known as a diving elbow drop, however, Scott Steiner came down to the ring and pushed Lethal off of the turnbuckle while Khan distracted the referee. Williams then grabbed Lethal and jumped over Lethal's back, while at the sametime pulling Lethal's head backwards, causing him to perform a backflip and slam Lethal's head into the mat with a move Williams dubbed the "Canadian Destroyer". Williams then covered Lethal for the pinfall victory, however, SoCal Val, Lethal's on-screen love interest, stopped the referee's count and told him that Steiner had interfered. This caused Khan to follow Val up the entrance ramp, while in the ring, Williams' walked over to Lethal to cover him again; instead Lethal grabbed Williams by the head, arm, and leg, rolled him over on his back, and held his shoulders down for the three count to retain the X Division Championship in a pin attempt known as a small package. A Tag Team match pitted the team of Black Reign and Rellik against Eric Young and Kaz. Mid-way through the match, Young left the ring and ran backstage, returning a brief time later to debut a new superhero persona named "Super Eric." Eric eventually gained the pinfall victory in the match for Kaz and himself by lifting up both Rellik and Reign onto his shoulders and flipping them both over one side to land on their heads in a move named a double "Death Valley Driver." The fourth match was a 3-Way Dance contested for the TNA Women's Knockout Championship between the champion, Awesome Kong, who was accompanied by Raisha Saeed, Lauren Ireland, and ODB. Kong retained the title in the match after Saeed grabbed ODB's leg from the outside which allowed Kong to grab ODB, lift ODB up onto her shoulders, and drop to a seated position to slam ODB's back into the mat - dubbed an "Awesome Bomb" - to gain the pinfall victory. The fifth match was Curry Man and Shark Boy defeat Team 3D (Brother Harlan and Brother Scott) in what was dubbed a Fish Market Street Fight; a bout in which no one could be disqualified and the participants could fight anywhere. In the final undercard match of the event Robert McAlmond defeated Booker T in a match where they were tied together by a leather strap—titled a Stand By Your Man Strap Match. Main event matches The second ever Elevation X match was the first main event match on the card with Rhino defeating Kevin Storm; the match took place 15 feet (4.6 m) above the ring on a scaffold shaped like an X. The second main event was a Six Man Tag Team match, in which the team referred to as The Unlikely Alliance (Samoa Simpson, Kevin Nash, and Khristian Kage) defeated the team known as The Borske Alliance (Matt Borske, K.J. Styles, and Kanta). Aftermath Reception Results ; ; *Dark Match: Roxxi Laveaux defeated Angelina Love *The Latin American Xchange (Homicide and Hernandez) (w/ Salinas) defeated The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) and The Rock 'n Rave Infection (Lance Hoyt and Jimmy Rave) (with Jehann Kazem) in a 3-Way match to become number one contender to the TNA World Tag Team Championship (10:28) *Jay Lethal © defeated Jon Williams (w/ Rhaka Khan) to retain the TNA X Division Championship (11:41) *Kaz and Eric Young defeated Black Reign and Rellik (10:03) *Awesome Kong © (w/ Raisha Saeed) defeated Lauren Ireland and O.D.B. in a 3-Way match to retain the TNA Women's Knockout Championship (11:33) *Curry Man and Shark Boy defeated Team 3D (Brother Harlan and Brother Scott) (with Johnny Gludt) in a Fish Market Street Fight (13:12) *Robert McAlmond (w/ Payton Banks) defeated Booker T (w/ Traci Brooks) in a Stand By Your Man Strap Match (7:56) *Rhino defeated Kevin Storm (with Ms. Jacqueline) in a Elevation X match (13:18) *The Unlikely Alliance (Samoa Simpson, Kevin Nash, and Khristian Kage) defeated The Borske Alliance (Kurt Angle, K.J. Styles and Tyson Kanta) in a Six Man Tag Team match (12:29) Also see *Destination X External links